Insights on co-creation in Mexico: challenges to its application of public-private partnerships

ABSTRACT Co-creation has captured the attention of policy makers and public administrators, not only in developed countries, but also in emerging countries. Its objective is to grant a more central role to citizens/users in the policy process to create public value. While the theory continues to be relatively dispersed in the academic literature, there have been few empirical studies evaluating its applicability in improving public management processes. This article challenges the concept of co-creation by providing an analysis of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Mexico. Theoretical reflections indicate that co-creation can improve social profitability of projects by proving a participative solution to inefficiencies that are characterized by PPPs. However, the institutional and organizational barriers that hinder a state’s development and progress to develop an effective bureaucracy are still prominent lacking, especially in the developing country context, where corruption is produce and not co-creation.